Chapter 18

‘I should not know about Calipa’s Stigma at this time…’

Judith couldn’t possibly ask Calipa about her Stigma.

Asking Calipa about her stigma is like asking a person bitten by a tiger to explain why they were bitten.

Calipa had a Stigma right after she lost her entire family, and the moment she swore revenge.

It’s a question that would open up her wounds. It was the same thing that she couldn’t ask before or now.

What Judith knew about Stigma was what she remembered of Calipa telling her in the moment.

‘And on top of that, of all things…’

It is also crucial that the Order was divided.

The Black Knights Order prohibits all unauthorized outsiders from entering.

Of course, since she’d been going there for 6 years, she knows a plausible back road.

But, taking such a risk, visiting Calipa in the middle of the night and asking what Stigma is…

“…that’s too suspicious.”

Calipa, good night. Actually, she also came here because she thought she had a stigma. What is her stigma? She was not sure, but she thought it had to do with time.

‘I can’t say it.’

Judith gave up on thinking about it.

Even if she had a plan and revealed that she returned back…

She can’t say, “I lived in the future where you committed suicide.”

Judith hit her head on the pillow.

A stigma is called the power of God. There is no doubt that it has special abilities.

‘I’ve even experienced it myself.’

This stigma must have something to do with regression. That’s it.

Judith erased the option of asking Calipa from her mind.

She’d rather study alone since she couldn’t dig up the wounds of a friend who committed suicide.

‘Let’s go to the library.’

As she quickly made up her mind, her realistic judgments were branching out.

Stigma should be hidden.

It is shaped like an hourglass with a clear meaning.

Someone, like her, may recognize Stigma. At least Calipa will recognize it.

Fortunately, Judith had plenty of time.

There is plenty of time to find out why she returned and what Stigma is.

The status of knight let her freely use the library.

Even theological books are scattered around the Imperial Palace. Borrowing them is not difficult.

Judith lay down.

All sorts of chaotic emotions built up, floating like dust, and then disappeared.

‘God… I’ve never believed in it.’

The time to wonder why this happened to her is over.

The only thing she was worried about was being alone. As always.

***

Peon Grand opened his eyes at the sound of a thump.

Did he fall asleep?

He planned to train after dinner, but it seems he fell asleep.

‘I slept longer than I thought.’

Peon grumbled and was startled.

What was that sound just now?

Based on his experience, it sounded similar to a stone thrown by a catapult hitting a wall.

‘Is it an attack? What kind of madman would attack the Imperial Palace!’

He hurriedly took his sword and set out.

Peon Grand was thirty-seven this year. It has been over ten years since he became an imperial knight, and he is a senior recognized by everyone in the Red Knights.

The ones who became imperial knights with Peon went down to the quiet countryside before they died or were injured.

He’s the only one doing active duty.

Peon had the pride he deserved.

But that pride was shattered not long ago. It was because of the new knight who openly insulted him in the skill test.

And the remaining pride was completely broken the moment Peon arrived at the hall.

“Are you confident that you will become stronger?”

He could tell even though he hadn’t entered the arena. It was Commander Giryu’s voice.

‘Why is the commander here?’

In terms of age, Giryu was much younger than him.

A young naive kid.

That was Peon’s first impression of Giryu.

However, Giryu’s skills were beyond Peon’s reach.

Those who know the person named Giryu know that he would never come to the training hall.

Peon knew that.

He was angry, but the difference between his and Giryu’s skills was huge.

At first, he was a leader who aroused opposition.

However, time has made them acknowledge Giryu.

He had no choice but to admit it.

After a month of swearing at him, saying who would put such a young man in the commander’s position, Giryu defeated all the beasts of the southwestern Krata region. It was Peon’s hometown.

The following year, it was also Giryu that defeated the demonic beasts that poured out massively in the west.

The commander was really, really strong. 

So Peon wasn’t jealous.

Even though he would pour alcohol that evening, he praised his young friend, saying he was amazing.

That was the last pride left for Peon.

People are not jealous of elephants.

Giryu is not like us. He’s just a different species.

When he said this, his colleagues who quit now laughed, saying that he was right. Among the knights who implicitly agreed, Peon was able to laugh.

He tried to compromise with reality.

He did….

Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks

“Dame, would you like to become the vice-captain?”

Peon realized. There was another person in the hall.

Vice-captain?

As far as he knew, Giryu had never once spoken about a vice-captain.

Even Deschamps Ritz, who has been with him for 20 years, was not given the authority of the ‘vice-captain’. He was only a lieutenant.

Looking into the inside of the gym, Peon wondered who this invitation was to, and he was shocked like a person struck by lightning.

The new knight who insulted him in the skill test.

It was Judith.

Peon quickly realized.

The vibrations of aether, which made his flesh tremble, were flowing from her, not from Giryu.

‘No way.’

The aether that filled the training hall was grayish-white. It was not the red ether of Commander Giryu.

Even the practice model, which had crushed Peon’s sword several times, had been destroyed.

‘No way!’

Peon clenched his fists involuntarily. But the next moment he was suffocating, as if someone had grabbed him by the collar.

“As far as I can see, your Aether still has potential for development.”

More development?

It can get stronger?

Even thought it was as strong as a monster?

It was eight years ago, at the age of twenty-nine, that Peon was able to use aether.

That’s why he, who considered retiring at the age of 30, decided to remain in the enemy squad.

Because he believed he could be stronger.

So, when Peon saw Judith’s aether and sword, he felt an unbearable sense of deprivation.

An indescribable low-level jealousy engulfed his eyes.

‘Why……’

A sting that poked him like a wedge.

A slash that hits all the way to the chin.

A swordsmanship that thoroughly subdues the opponent, just like an imperial knight.

That’s the sword that Peon wanted to wield.

That is the talent that Peon had dreamed of until he was thirty-seven.

However, the reality was far from the ideal, and the swordsmanship he had pursued so far threw him away.

“For now, find an emotion strong enough to strengthen your aether, dame.”

Unable to bear it at all, Peon left.

Peon left the two behind and walked to the 3rd gymnasium.

The hand that took out the sword trembled.

He wanted to cut anything at random.

“Don’t make me laugh…”

Vice-captain?

That stupid little girl?

“Argh!”

Peon swung his sword recklessly.

The aether he breathed in with all his might, whitishly formed on the tip of the sword, and then disappeared.

Peon’s ether couldn’t even last a minute.

He hit the practice model, but it bounced off several times.

His wrist hurt. As he wielded it with all his strength, his blade was terribly damaged.

Peon would have cursed at someone wielding a sword like this, saying that he was a crazy bastard who didn’t even have the right to hold a sword.

Still, he couldn’t stand it. 

“Ahhhh! Arghh!”

In an instant, countless scenes flashed through Peon’s mind.

Giryu’s face at the front of the skill test.

A new knight sighed as if she was tired while sparring with him.

A test that everyone was impressed with.

The swordsmanship of the two aether masters was as beautiful as sword dance…

Kaaang!

A deafening sound was heard from afar.

Not only the floor, but also the entire Knights’ Building shook.

Without the barrier, the place would have collapsed due to the shock.

It was obvious where the source of the sound was.

It was clear what happened and who did it.

They were already familiar with the aetheric wave from Giryu.

There was no way he could have mistaken the captain’s aether, which had made him miserable countless times.

Peon couldn’t stand it and slammed his sword recklessly.

“Damn… Damn it!!”

Goddamn it!

Peon let go of the sword due to the pain that seemed to tear his hand apart.

The tip of the broken blade fell on the floor casually.

The sword loaded with aether as best as it could be, did not inflict any damage on the model for practice.

“…Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!”

The broken sword looked like himself.

It didn’t look good.

——————

Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only

TL notes ( ´ ▿ ` )

Manhwa chapter 13

Kakaopage sucks ass lmao. Cutting this chapter short since “Arc 3 – I’m sorry” starts at page 25 of chapter 18 if it makes sense. Every chapter in kakaopage has around 30 pages but “Arc 3” cut in at page 25 so I’m incorporating the last 5 pages into Chapter 19.

Just a reminder that I’m calling them “Arcs” when in reality they are the Chapters but with names (idk how to describe it. As I said before in Chapter 9: The chapters are divided kind of like arcs. from chapter 1 to 8 it was “Arc 1 – Knight and Swordsman” and chapter 9 to 18 is “Arc 2 – A Handful of Goodwill” and now the 3rd Arc is “I’m sorry”, starting from chapter 19. I hope it makes sense lol) Just kakaopage being kakaopage  i guess

Also, it’d be a pain in the ass to release chapters per arc. I just think it’s better to release them like this instead of a mass update every 1 or 2 months.